Herpetogramma paper.cwk (WP) - Calodema

Calodema, 145: 1-5 (2011)T.J. Hawkeswood- HerpetogrammaObservations on the biology, habitat and larval host plant ofHerpetogramma cynaralis (Walker, 1859)(Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) inQueensland, Australiaby Dr T.J. Hawkeswood**PO Box 842, Richmond, New South Wales, NSW, 2753, Australia. (www.calodema.com)Hawkeswood, T.J. (2011). Observations on the biology, habitat and larval host plant of Herpetogramma cynaralis(Walker, 1859)(Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) in Queensland, Australia. Calodema, 145: 1-5.Abstract: Some opportunistic observations on the biology, habitat and larval host plant of the Queensland moth,Herpetogramma cynaralis (Walker, 1859)(Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) are recorded here for the first time. The pupalduration is at least 4-5 days. The host plant is the rainforest vine, Stephania japonica (Thunb.) Miers var. discolor(Menispermaceae). Larva pupate within leaf rolls of the host plant. The pupae are heavily parasitized by black wasps,Trichogramma sp. (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae). The biology, hosts and parasite are compared to those of otherHerpetogramma species in Australia and elsewhere.Key words: Herpetogramma cynaralis, larval host plant, Stephania japonica, Pyralidae, Lepidoptera.IntroductionHerpetogramma cynaralis (Walker, 1859) was originally described as Botys cynaralis by Walker(1859). Since then nothing has been published on the biology, host plants and parasites of thisspecies. During the 1980’s I made numerous opportunistic observations on the entomofauna ofthe southern Brisbane area, Queensland. I present below field observations and other data on thehabitat and biology of a poorly known native moth, Herpetogramma cynaralis (Walker, 1859).ObservationsA. BiologicalOn 25 April 1986, I collected two last instar larvae of H. cynaralis from the young, pale green leaves of several plantsof Stephania japonica (Thunb.) Miers var. discolor (Menispermaceae) growing on the grounds of the GriffithUniversity campus, Mt. Gravatt, Brisbane, south-eastern Queensland. The host plants were growing in a semi-shadedgully comprised of introduced weedy vines and native plants. The larvae possessed a black head capsule, black thoraxwith two black-brown spots on the thorax and the body was of a dull yellow coloration; body length of the larvae were12.2 and 12.0 mm and head capsule width were 1.35 mm and 1.3 mm respectively. The larvae pupated during the nightof 30 April-1 May 1986. Adults emerged on 5 May 1986 after spending 5 days as pupae. Another lava obtained on 26April 1986 pupated on the night of 27 April 1986. Pupae measured 11.0-12.0 mm long by 2.6-2.8 mm wide. Larvaerolled the leaves and secure them with silken filaments. The curled leaves were usually full of faecal pellets as a resultof continued feeding in the rolled leaf before pupation. Fungi were usually associated with the faecal pellets. Thelength of Stephania leaves utilised by larvae measured 7.6, 6.0, 5.5, 6.5, 9.6, 6.1, 5.5, 4.2 and 6.8 mm respectively(average 6.42, standard deviation 2.32). A number of leaf rolls were examined but not all contained larvae at the time.A parasitized larva was collected on 23 April 1986 and it pupated on 24 April 1986; on 28 April 1986, 17 female and3 male Trichogramma wasps hatched out of the pupa. No adult moths were observed in the forest during theobservation periods. Feeding was not observed during the day and probably occurs during the night.B. HabitatThe habitat of the site where observations were undertaken was composed of a dry sclerophyll forest with some nativemesic flora. The site is situated about 10 km south of Brisbane. The vegetation was comprised of open mixedEucalyptus forest/woodland with an overstorey dominated by Angophora woodsiana F.M. Bail., Eucalyptus umbraR.T. Baker, E. baileyana F. Muell. (Myrtaceae) and Casuarina littoralis Salisb. (Casuarinaceae). There were also anumber of standing and fallen dead trees, especially of C. littoralis in the area, especially along the lower sides ofgullies. The understorey of the forest/woodland was comprised of a variety of woody shrubs and small trees includingAlphitonia excelsa (Fenzl) Benth. (Rhamnaceae), Acacia longifolia (Wendl.) Willd., A. leiocalyx (Domin) Pedley(Mimosaceae), Pultenaea villosa Willd. (Fabaceae) and Xanthorrhoea johnsonii A. Lee (Xanthorrhoeaceae). A sparseto dense, varied herb layer of numerous grasses and ferns was also present. The host plant, Stephania japonica(Thunb.) Miers var. discolor (Menispermaceae) was relatively common in the more shadier, sheltered areas alongPage 1

Calodema, 145: 1-5 (2011)T.J. Hawkeswood- Herpetogrammacreeklines.C. Host plant of H. cynaralisStephania japonica var. discolor (Menispermaceae) is a scrambling vine with heart-shaped, peltate leaves, the flowersare small and greenish, arranged in axillary compound umbels; the species flowers during summer and later plantsproduce shiny yellow and red fruits measuring about 5-10 mm wide. The vine occurs commonly in rainforests andsheltered gullies, especially near the sea.DiscussionA. Larval food plants of Herpetogramma speciesPreviously nothing appears to have been recorded on the biology and host plants of this obscurelittle native moth, H. cynaralis. However, related species are serious pests of agricultural plantsand for this reason knowledge of others in the genus can be insightful. The best known species ofthe genus is H. licarsisalis (Walker), commonly known as the tropical grass webworm, which hasan extensive global distribution nowadays. It is widely distributed in northern Australia, south-eastAsia, Pacific Islands such as New Caledonia and Norfolk Island, Japan, Hawaii (but notcontinental USA) as well as central and northern Africa (e.g. Tweedie, 1933; Delobel &Gutieerez, 1981; Common, 1990; Tashiro, 1976; Barrion & Litsinger, 1987; Smithers, 1998;Hardwick et al., 2000; Willoughby & Barns, 2002). This species was also recorded as a recentintroduction to the Maltese Islands by Sammut (2005). Recently extensive populations have beenrecorded in southern Spain (Goater & Knill Jones, 1999) and a single adult specimen has beenrecorded on the Isle of Wight (Goater & Knill Jones, 1999) indicating its continued expansionover the globe. Herpetogramma licarsisalis is an important pest of pastures and amenity turf inthe tropics where larvae feed on the leaves and crowns of a wide range of grass species includingPennisetum clandestinum Hochst. ex Chiov., Paspalum dilatatum Poiret, Cynodon dactylon (L.)Pers., Lolium perenne L. and Lolium multidflorum Lam., Oryza sativa L. (Poaceae)(e.g. Davis,1968; Reinert, 1976; Tashiro, 1976; Murdoch & Tashiro, 1976; Murdoch & Mitchell, 1978;Grant, 1982; Tashiro et al., 1983; Barrion & Litsinger, 1987; Ward, 1997; Hardwick et al., 2000;Jenson & Cameron, 2004). Similarly, another closely related species, H. phaeopteralis Guenee isan annual pest of turfgrass in the southern States of the USA and many islands in the Caribbean.Its hosts include Stenotaphrum secundatum (Walt.) Kunze, Cynodon spp., Zoysia spp.,Eremochloa ophiuroides (Munro) Hack., Axonopus compressus (Swartz) Beauv. and Paspalumnotatum Flüggé (e.g. Reinert & Busey, 1983; Reinert, 2008). Yet another species, H. bipunctalis(Fabricius) from Africa is a pest of Amaranthus spp. (Amaranthaceae)(e.g. Tingle et al., 1978;Agunloye & Osisanya, 1985 - as Psara) but it is also recorded from a wide range of otherdicotyledonous plant species e.g. Brassica sp. (Brassicaceae), Capsicum sp. and Solanum nigrumL. (Solanaceae) and Piper aduncum L. (Piperaceae)(Solis, 2006) as well as monocotyledonousplants, e.g. Xanthosoma spp., (Araceae) and Asparagus sp.(Asparagaceae)(Solis, 2006).Herpetogramma basalis (Walker) has been recorded recently [as Psara] on Spinacia oleracea L.(Chenopodiaceae) in India (Rajesh et al., 2008). As regards H. stultalis (Walker), this species hasbeen recorded as feeding as larvae on Alternanthera sessilis (Amaranthaceae) and Coleus sp.(sic)[Solenostemon sp.] (Lamiaceae) in Fiji (Hinckley, 1964). Two other Herpetogrammaspecies are known to feed on ferns in the larval stage, viz. H. theseusalis (Walker) on Onocleasensibilis L. (Dryopteridaceae) and Thelypteris palustris Schott. (Thelypteridaceae)(Morse,2009), and H. aeglealis (Walker) on Polystichum acrostichoides (Michx.) Schott(Aspidiaceae)(Ruelmann et al., 1988). Herpetogramma sp. near H. licarsisalis was found to be acommon feeder on Piper aduncum L. (Piperaceae) in Papua New Guinea (Novotny et al., 2003).As far as I am aware, after reviewing the literature on larval hosts of this group, theMenispermaceae have not been recorded previously for any Herpetogramma species, however itis interesting to note that moths of the family Noctuidae especially of the genus Eudocima (=Othreis) are known to feed extensively on Stephania japonica and its varieties in the larval stagePage 2

Calodema, 145: 1-5 (2011)T.J. Hawkeswood- Herpetogrammain Australia and south-east Asia (e.g. Sands et al., 1991; Muniappan et al., 1994; Fay, 1994,1996; Bhumannavar & Viraktamath, 2001; Reddy et al., 2005, 2006).B. Parasites of Herpetogramma speciesA wide range of Hymenoptera are known to parasitize the larvae/pupae of Herpetogrammaspecies. Concerning H. stultalis (Walker), Hinckley (1964) recorded Apanteles sp., Chelonus sp.(Braconidae) and Trathala flavoorbitalis Cameron (Ichneumonidae) as larval parasites of thisspecies in Fiji, while Verma et al. (2002) recorded Elasmus brevicornis Gahan (Eulophidae) as aparasite of this species in Malaysia. Morse (2009) recorded Alabagrus texanus Cresson(Braconidae) as a common parasitoid of H. theseusalis (Walker) in the USA. Tingle et al. (1978)recorded Chelonus texanus Cresson (Braconidae) as a parasite of H. bipunctalis (Fabricius) inFlorida, USA. Davis (1968) noted that the foremost of the parasites of H. licarsisalis at Hawaiiwas the tiny Trichogramma semifumatum (Perkins)(Trichogrammatidae) which parasitized up to96% of the eggs of this species; other parasites of the larvae were Casinaria infesta (Cresson),Cremastus flavoorbitalis (Cameron)(both Ichneumonidae), Meteorus laphygamae Viereck(Braconidae) and Eucelatoria armigera (Coq.)(Tachinidae: Diptera). The record ofTrichogramma wasps emerging from pupae of H. cynaralis at Brisbane is therefore of someinterest as it is in accordance with the findings of Davis (1968).C. Notes on life stagesIt is interesting to note the differences between the larval coloration and size of H. cynaralis andthe most common species, H. licarsisalis. The latter species has larvae which are variably brownto green in coloration with sometimes a rose tint over part or most of the abdomen. When fullygrown the larvae averaged 20 mm in length with a head capsule of 1.8 mm diameter (Tashiro,1976). According to my observations, H. cynaralis larvae possess a black head capsule, a blackthorax with two black-brown spots on the thorax and an abdomen of a dull yellow coloration;body length of two larvae were 12.2 and 12.0 mm and head capsule width were 1.35 mm and 1.3mm respectively.Further observations on the earlier life stages are necessary to determine if H. cynaralis should beplaced in another genus based on differing morphology and food plant preferences or retained inthe genus Herpetogramma.AcknowledgementsThanks are expressed to Mr Kelvyn L. Dunn of Victoria, for kindly commenting on this paper before publication. Iwould also like to thank Dr F.R. Wylie of the Queensland Forestry Institute (QFI), Indooroopilly, Queensland,Australia and the late Mr M. De Baar, formerly of the same institution, for allowing access to microscopes and to theinsect collection under their care during my studies in Brisbane during the 1980’s. My material of H. cynaralis wascompared with named specimens in the collection of the QFI.ReferencesAgunloye, O. & Osisanya, E.O. (1985). Pirimiphos-methyl in the control of Psara bipunctalis F. on Amaranthuscruentus in Southern Nigeria. International Journal of Pest Management, 31: 196-198.Barrion, A.T. & Litsinger, J.A. (1987). Herpetogramma licarsisalis (Walker) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae): a new pest oflowland rice in the Philippines. Philippine Entomologist, 7: 67–84.Bhumannavar, B.S. & Viraktamath, C.A. (2001). Larval host specificity, adult feeding and oviposition preference ofthe fruit piercing moth, Othreis homaena Hubner (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) on different Menispermaceaehost plants. Journal of Entomological Research, 25: 165-181.Common, I. F.B. (1990). Moths of Australia. Melbourne University Press, Carlton, Victoria.Davis, C.J. (1968). Notes on the grass webworm, Herpetogramma licarsisalis (Walker) (Lepidoptera: Pyraustidae), anew pest of turfgrass in Hawaii and its enemies. Proceedings of the Hawaiian Entomological Society, 20:311-316.Delobel, A. & Gutierrez, J. (1981). One year survey of Lepidopterous populations in New Caledonia using a light trap.Cahiers ORSTOM Serie Biologie, 44: 23-34.Page 3

Calodema, 145: 1-5 (2011)T.J. Hawkeswood- HerpetogrammaFay, H.A.C. (1994). The relative acceptabilities of three Australian Menispermaceae as food plants for larvae of thefruitpiercing moth, Othreis fullonia. Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata, 72: 67-75.Fay, H.A.C. (1996). Evolutionary and taxonomic relationships between fruit-piercing moths and the Menispermaceae.Australian Systematic Botany, 9: 227-233.Goater, B. & Knill Jones, S.A. (1999). Herpetogramma licarsisalis (Walker, 1859)(Lepidoptera: Pyralidae), the grasswebworm, new to Britain. Entomologists Gazette, 50: 71-74.Grant, M.D. (1982). Feeding preference of larvae of Herpetogramma licarsisalis (Walker)(Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) andSpodoptera mauritia (Boisduval)(Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), two lawn pests common about Brisbane.Journal of the Australian Entomological Society, 21: 201-205.Hardwick, S., Baltus, J.G. & Willoughby, B.E. (2000). 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Calodema, 145: 1-5 (2011)T.J. Hawkeswood- HerpetogrammaWilloughby, B.E. & Barns, S.A. (2002). Tropcal Grass Webworm (Herpetogramma licarsisalis): Implications for dairyfarming in New Zealand. New Zealand Plant Protection, 55: 30-36.Date of publication: 15 February 2011Copyright: Dr T.J. HawkeswoodEditor-in-Chief: Dr T.J. Hawkeswood (www.calodema.com)(Published as hard paper copy edition as well as electronic pdf)Page 5